Club Directory

Wed: Ladies´ nights.

Mon and Wed: Dart leagues.

Thu and Sat: Karaoke. 330 S. Gilbert Rd., Mesa, 480-649-1650.

Chances Are Restaurant & Lounge: Chances Are mixes supper-club elegance -- candlelit tables, cream-and-teal decor, filet mignon cut to order -- with retro jazz cool for a baby-boom crowd.

Sun-Tue: Karaoke. 7570 E. 6th Ave., Scottsdale, 480-994-4338.

Charley´s Place: Located almost directly across the street from the ASU West campus, Charley´s Place is an after-class drinking retreat for students and professors alike. Besides offering eats and drinks, the bar hosts pool and dart tournaments as well as karaoke. 4324 W. Thunderbird Rd., Phoenix, 602-439-1668.

Charlie´s: A gay country and western bar, ol´ Butch and Sundance would have been proud to walk into Charlie´s. The place has a rustic theme with an all-consuming wooden decor, from the outdoor patio, which also features a volleyball court, to the rails next to the dance floor.

Sun: Drag show, Pussy LeHoot and Friends.

Mon: Undies Mondays.

Tue: Two-step dancing lessons.

Thu: Beginning line-dancing lessons.

Fri: 75-cent happy hour from 7-9 p.m. After-hours high-energy disco music from 2-4 a.m. 21 and over.

Sat: Advanced line-dancing lessons and 75-cent happy hour from 7-9 p.m. After-hours high-energy disco music from 2-4 a.m. 21 and over. 727 W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-265-0224.

Char´s Has the Blues: A freestanding roadhouse, Char´s is nearing two decades of showcasing Valley blues artists seven nights a week. Each week has a different lineup of performers. Or you could just shoot a game of pool and sip bourbon with friends. 4631 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, 602-230-0205.

Chaser´s: Chaser´s is like a rugged Lynyrd Skynyrd song. Men in muscle shirts and softball jackets drink beer, an American flag hangs on the stage, and three pool tables inspire competition.

Mon: Open mic night.

Thu-Sat: Local rock bands. Other nights, the jukebox fare ranges from George Thorogood to Limp Bizkit. 8005 E. Roosevelt St., Scottsdale, 480-945-4985.

Chez Nous Cocktail Lounge: After your eyes adjust, you´ll see that you´ve found lounge heaven: deep vinyl booths, an old-school bar and smoky dark. One of the most diverse clienteles in the Valley comes together over stiff drinks and a small, crowded dance floor for live funk, soul and R&B.

Mon: Apexx Band.

Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun: Roscoe Taylor, Tim Forkes & Co.

Thu: Fire in the Sky Band. 675 W. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-266-7372.

Club Bash: Touted as ASU´s newest party place, Club Bash is located five blocks from the Tempe campus. Clubgoers can boogie down to hip-hop and Top 40 hits on the spacious dance floor, or be wallflowers and watch the platform dancers. And if you get tired of dancing or standing, check out the 30-foot tiki face in the lounge areas.

Thu: Island Thursday.

Fri: Ladies First, no cover for the ladies.

Sat: DJ 2%.

Sun: Salsa de Noche. 230 W. 5th St., Tempe, 480-966-5600.

Club Blaze: This sizable dance club draws a substantial number of thirtysomething hipsters, who groove to four DJs spinning everything from Latin pop to Top 40. On weekend nights, the club gets so crowded that heading to the bar and back is like wading through a mosh pit. 2740 W. North Lane, Phoenix, 602-943-4646.

Club Central: A two-tiered jazz and blues club, Club Central also hosts karaoke on Friday nights so the amateurs can share the spotlight with the revolving door of musicians and comedians.

Fri: DJ upstairs and karaoke downstairs.

Sun: Live jazz. An enforced dress code on Friday night distinguishes Club Central from other Valley blues clubs.

Tue: R&B ladies´ night.

Thu: Salsa and merengue.

Sat: DJ music. 3110 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-200-8121.

Club Encounters: 3037 W. Clarendon Ave., Phoenix, 602-230-9680.

The Clubhouse: Formerly Eugene´s Rock Cafe and tucked next to the Horse & Hound, the Clubhouse has in short order become a favored room for local bands in Tempe and across the Valley, filling for fans a musical roadhouse niche left bare by the closing of the old Nita´s Hideaway. The small club is unpretentious for sure, but tastefully so, with handsomely painted walls and decorative covers obscuring Eugene´s old framed rock ´n´ roll posters. Live music from local bands goes down most nights. 1320 E. Broadway Rd., Tempe, 480-968-3238.

Club Rio: This mammoth Top 40 and retro dance club hosts live music on occasion, but is better known as the college scene´s favorite pickup bar. Former ASU and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer got in hot water for an infamous pass he made here.

Wed: College Hump Night for the 18-and-over crowd.

Fri: Paradise on the Patio with alternative music.

Sat: Wild on Rio and Club Kiss After Hours.

Sun: Salsa with dancing lessons. 430 N. Scottsdale Rd., Tempe, 480-894-0533.

Club 245: Located within Jackson´s on 3rd (see entry), Club 245 steals patrons from Jackson´s main stage after the bands have called it a night. Offering a dance floor and bar in a separate room for the remainder of the evening, 245 escapes Jackson´s sporty image revealing a dance club that rivals anything Scottsdale presents, in terms of showiness. 245 E. Jackson St., Phoenix, 602-254-5303.